[DYNASTY] Jonathan Dwyer (1 Viewer)

[Michael Fox Fan]

Yes, I have seen these comments about Dwyer...and similar criticisms of every back that got drafted. However, if a back has slow feet, poor burst, and poor agility and is a bad blocker.... they probably don't truck over defenses in the ACC both running and blocking (as a fullback) while putting up 1400 yards at 6 yard per carry. If everything you said is true, then he has some sort of hidden ability that made him one of the most successful running backs in the NCAA in 2009.Anyway, I suspect you are wrong and there are other reason(s) that his draft stock slid.

Have you seen Ron Dayne's college stats? He's another "solid" sized RB who had good top-end speed but took FOREVER to accelerate. I posted weeks ago (can't remember which thread it was, but it included video clips of Dwyer) that he appeared to lack any short-range burst and I was shocked that he was ranked so high.Then again, I also thought J Charles sucked and would never be a feature back - so don't take this as chest-pounding.

 

[Steelfan7]

I'm hoping he slips to me in the second, how you can think this guys talent just went away because of a failed drug test...lol, please.

He was a projected top 3 runner a week a go. Come on people can we really just use our football knowledge and not listen to Sportscenter?

P.S. They have no #2 in Pitt, and Mendy is not my favorite young runner anyways.

The problem is some of us used our "football knowledge" months before now and didn't like Dwyer in the 1st place.

Since it is obvious that no one clearly understands why he slid so far (other than you and the 32 sets of NFL scouts), can you please elaborate on your pre-draft 6th round grade?

I have posted numerous times I thought he had slow feet, poor burst, poor agility, he looked sloppy/lazy at the combine, he didn't test well, he is a poor blocker(see RSP), etc

Also played in gimmicky triple option style offense at GT. He dropped his weight down to 229 for the combine and still was slow. Steelers rb coach says Dwyer has a lot of things to work on. I wouldn't be shocked if he doesn't make the roster out of camp. 6th rd he is worth the gamble, but he is no sure thing.

 

[rabidfireweasel]

I believe that a huge part of Dwyer's problem is that he showed up so gelatinous to the combine. That was his golden opportunity to show that he wasn't a fb from a gimmicky offense, but that he was a true NFL power back. He had six weeks to train and prepare after Tech's bowl game and he blew it. His lack of conditioning was alarming. If you care that little before you get paid, what is going to happen after you get paid. He simply does not have the athletic ability to succeed if he is not extremely motivated.

There were a lot of teams that had moderate needs at rb and passed him even when the risk was low- in the 4th, 5th and front of the sixth. That speaks volumes about the general NFL consensus of his likelihood to succeed.

 

[Acrobat7]

if he makes PIT's roster and he is there at 2.11 in my rookie draft i will consider him.

 

[cstu]

I believe that a huge part of Dwyer's problem is that he showed up so gelatinous to the combine. That was his golden opportunity to show that he wasn't a fb from a gimmicky offense, but that he was a true NFL power back. He had six weeks to train and prepare after Tech's bowl game and he blew it. His lack of conditioning was alarming. If you care that little before you get paid, what is going to happen after you get paid. He simply does not have the athletic ability to succeed if he is not extremely motivated.There were a lot of teams that had moderate needs at rb and passed him even when the risk was low- in the 4th, 5th and front of the sixth. That speaks volumes about the general NFL consensus of his likelihood to succeed.

I agree. Sure, he got drafted into a good spot for RB's, but even if something happens to Mendenhall what are the odds that the team wants to hand the job to him? It's possible he could mature and get serious about football, but showing up fat at the combine (like Jamarcus) is a really bad sign of his future.If you want to take a risk on a late drafted RB then get Anthony Dixon.

 

[identikit]

I believe that a huge part of Dwyer's problem is that he showed up so gelatinous to the combine. That was his golden opportunity to show that he wasn't a fb from a gimmicky offense, but that he was a true NFL power back. He had six weeks to train and prepare after Tech's bowl game and he blew it. His lack of conditioning was alarming. If you care that little before you get paid, what is going to happen after you get paid. He simply does not have the athletic ability to succeed if he is not extremely motivated.

There were a lot of teams that had moderate needs at rb and passed him even when the risk was low- in the 4th, 5th and front of the sixth. That speaks volumes about the general NFL consensus of his likelihood to succeed.

I agree. Sure, he got drafted into a good spot for RB's, but even if something happens to Mendenhall what are the odds that the team wants to hand the job to him? It's possible he could mature and get serious about football, but showing up fat at the combine (like Jamarcus) is a really bad sign of his future.If you want to take a risk on a late drafted RB then get Anthony Davis.

Dixon, you mean?

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

Maybe this play caused his stock to drop:

horrible move by Dwyer- you never backpeddle that far when you're facing that much pressure.

I didn't really watch much of GT football, but was this the norm?

Is he dependent on blockers? Does he run people over like Gerhart? Is this guy soft? Does he try to avoid contact?

Those are the questions that need to be answered as to why his stock dropped. In all of the highlight clips I've seen, it's the blockers creating open spaces for him.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

Maybe this play caused his stock to drop:

 

[anakin]

Maybe this play caused his stock to drop:

Thank you for some examples

 

[Warpig]

I picked him up at 2.11 in a 16 team PPR league. Figured that was good value to take a flier on him. Wasn't very impressed with Mendy. Dwyer could be another Pittsburgh type running back in the mold of Jerome Bettis.

 

[MAC_32]

I'm finding difficulty trying to find characteristics about him that are not the same as LenDale White, except Dwyer wasn't an early round pick nor was he drafted into a good situation and LenDale likes his tequilla whereas Dwyer likes his trees.

I wouldn't pay more than a waiver pick for White anywhere so I guess that's where Dwyer falls too. I liked him before this offseason, but the answers to the questions he came into the offseason with were answered badly. Very badly.

 

[Ramblin Wreck]

I'm finding difficulty trying to find characteristics about him that are not the same as LenDale White

Then you either haven't watched these two players very much or you don't know what you're watching.

 

[cstu]

I believe that a huge part of Dwyer's problem is that he showed up so gelatinous to the combine. That was his golden opportunity to show that he wasn't a fb from a gimmicky offense, but that he was a true NFL power back. He had six weeks to train and prepare after Tech's bowl game and he blew it. His lack of conditioning was alarming. If you care that little before you get paid, what is going to happen after you get paid. He simply does not have the athletic ability to succeed if he is not extremely motivated.

There were a lot of teams that had moderate needs at rb and passed him even when the risk was low- in the 4th, 5th and front of the sixth. That speaks volumes about the general NFL consensus of his likelihood to succeed.

I agree. Sure, he got drafted into a good spot for RB's, but even if something happens to Mendenhall what are the odds that the team wants to hand the job to him? It's possible he could mature and get serious about football, but showing up fat at the combine (like Jamarcus) is a really bad sign of his future.If you want to take a risk on a late drafted RB then get Anthony Dixon.

Dixon, you mean?

Yes.

 

[silentmark]

OK, what if you are a Mendy owner in a 10 team dynasty with the 1.6 and no second rounder (2.6)? Do you take him at 1.6 ?

 

[mlball77]

OK, what if you are a Mendy owner in a 10 team dynasty with the 1.6 and no second rounder (2.6)? Do you take him at 1.6 ?

I'd say no to that. Take B Tate or D Thomas at 1.06. If you are dead set on taking Dwyer, try trading back to the late first or early second if you think you can get him there.

 

[Warpig]

OK, what if you are a Mendy owner in a 10 team dynasty with the 1.6 and no second rounder (2.6)? Do you take him at 1.6 ?

Negative. You take whoever falls to you between Best or Spiller or take Ben Tate.

 

[jurb26]

I'm hoping he slips to me in the second, how you can think this guys talent just went away because of a failed drug test...lol, please.

He was a projected top 3 runner a week a go. Come on people can we really just use our football knowledge and not listen to Sportscenter?

P.S. They have no #2 in Pitt, and Mendy is not my favorite young runner anyways.

The problem is some of us used our "football knowledge" months before now and didn't like Dwyer in the 1st place.

Since it is obvious that no one clearly understands why he slid so far (other than you and the 32 sets of NFL scouts), can you please elaborate on your pre-draft 6th round grade?

I certainly wouldn't say I knew he would fall this far in the draft. I don't think anyone did. I know I didn't like him nearly as much as the majority of the folks I've seen posting around here though. The bottom line is that I've never trusted the system he came from. I think Dwyer benefited from an offense that was very well executed in college and enabled him to get huge creases and catch defenders flat-footed. Because of his offense it's extremely difficult to truly gauge his vision, quickness to the hole in pro-style situations and his ability to read and wait for blocks/creases. I'm not saying he doesn't have it any of these abilities, just that I'm not sure and as high as everyone was saying he should go and as in love with him as everyone around here was I just couldn't get on board the train. His feet aren't as quick as I would like to see from an NFL RB and he often times looked sluggish to me on the field. While big and somewhat powerful, I've never been sold on his ability to break tackles at the NFL level. Mainly because he doesn't seem to have the foot quickness and natural hips to get defenders off balanced on his own. His size and power will be neutralized in the NFL. So even though I never would have guessed him to fall to the 7th round of the draft there were plenty of reasons I didn't like him as much as the majority. I know I wasn't alone.

 

[B. Nugget]

OK, what if you are a Mendy owner in a 10 team dynasty with the 1.6 and no second rounder (2.6)? Do you take him at 1.6 ?

Negative. You take whoever falls to you between Best or Spiller or take Ben Tate.

I'm a little confused by this...in my leagues those guys would all be gone with Dez and Matthews at 1.01 - 1.05.

 

[MAC_32]

I'm finding difficulty trying to find characteristics about him that are not the same as LenDale White

Then you either haven't watched these two players very much or you don't know what you're watching.

Must be the latter because I watched quite a bit of him, I don't think he's as much of a plodder as some think but don't think he is as fast as his fans think. I think he's somewhere in the middle and based off what I saw this offseason his work ethic is not there, for a guy like Dwyer that is the difference between potentially making it, and not.

 

[offdee]

I'll admit that I was a big Dwyer backer over the past year and am still a little dumbfounded about his major drop in the draft. But, I'm trying to be realistic here and look at facts of the situation to see if there's something I can deduce to the happenings of his drop to make some sense of it.

Below are some of my findings of why NFL GM's could've been scared off...

- He suffered a toe injury in his final game (Bowl game vs. Iowa in early Jan.). Due to this, his pre-combine training suffered which would partly give some credence to the slow 40 time, bad jump numbers and looking out of shape. (on the other hand, he ran better, 4.52, at his Pro-Day and looked more fluid in drills per those in attendance)

- Gimmicky option offense hard to evaluate vision, initial burst, etc. (although he produced as a true Freshman backing up Tashard Choice in a pro-style offense..82 attempts, 436 yds, 9TDs)

- Late report of a positive drug test (although it came out it was for ADD meds he's been taking his entire life....no illegal drugs)

- Poor pass blocking skills (this one is what it is, and due to the amount of passes GT has per game I'm sure pass blocking wasn't something extensively worked on for GT RB's unfortunately)

- Adam Schefter reported many teams took him off their boards due to "medical concerns", but it's never been reported what those medical concerns were. Was it the ADD? Was it the toe injury? Matt Waldman said he played all year with a shoulder injury which was the first I heard of. As far as I know he never really missed any time in college or sustained a major injury throughout his career so I have no idea what this is all about.

Am I still confused and in denial of him dropping to the 6th round and drafted behind guys like Anthony Dixon and Deji Karim...yes. Do I fully realize that the odds of him flaming out and doing absolutely nothing are now a distinct possibility...yes. Do I think he's still a solid talent that can thrive in the NFL...yes.

 

[massraider]

Taking him in the 6th means even the Steelers didn't feel like he was indispensable. How many times did they pass on him?

I've chased too many players just because they were RB, and with the proliferation of the RBBC, backs that can help you aren't as scarce as they once were. If someone wants to wait for a Michael Turner-like situation, that's understandable. But that's a bit too long term for me.

In the first two rounds, there's just too many players (even in a weak offensive draft, IMO) that have a good shot at helping a fantasy team very soon.

 

[Touchdown Syndrome]

Evidently Dwyer and two of his family members have voted in this poll.

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

http://www.steelers.com/video-and-audio/vi...35-d554446a07ff

coachspeak:

Dwyer won't be a starter his first year.Has LOTS of stuff he needs to work on. His draft position was expected around the league. The drug test were not a factor in the evaluation.

Dwyer will play some fullback.

 

[offdee]

Dwyer will play some fullback.

Absolutely nowhere in that video was this mentioned. I couldn't make out the name but I think you're referring to the last comment and question in the video....they were talking about a guy who was part of the pre-season/team LAST season.

 

[Unwrittenlaw]

Dwyer will play some fullback.

Absolutely nowhere in that video was this mentioned. I couldn't make out the name but I think you're referring to the last comment and question in the video....they were talking about a guy who was part of the pre-season/team LAST season.

Yeah, you're right. I thought he was talking about Dwyer because of the conditioning issues.Anyways, I'll take my chances on James Starks who's stock dropped because he didn't play all year in 2009 and his small school status- similar to how Frank Gore's draft stock dropped (injury).

 

[Godsbrother]

Running backs always get some opportunity, even if its just a few carries smattered in here and there. Like Choice, Shonn Green, Donald Brown, etc we will have a chance to see if he is good or not. Hell, all it takes is for Mendenhall to miss a couple of games and Dwyer only needs to be better than Frank Summers to get a decent load of work.

All of that being said, I have picks 5, 6, 13, and 20 and I think I would rather roll with McKnight around 13 and James Starks around 20 and let someone else play around with Dwyer.

He also needs to beat Redman for a spot on the team as well.

No doubt. Dwyer really has to come in an impress from day 1 to get a spot on this team, and he isn't just competing with the last couple backs on the Steelers roster. I think he is going to step up to the challenge and show enough in camps and preseason that he has a future.

Isaac Redman had a nice preseason and was a fan favorite but he spent almost his entire season on the practice squad where any team could have signed him but didn't. I think he was active for a game or two but had 0 carries. Besides Mendenhall & Moore (who is viewed as a 3rd down back), the Steelers are very thin at RB. If Dwyer shows anything at all he will make the team.

 

[BeTheMatch]

Dwyer will play some fullback.

Absolutely nowhere in that video was this mentioned. I couldn't make out the name but I think you're referring to the last comment and question in the video....they were talking about a guy who was part of the pre-season/team LAST season.

Yeah, you're right. I thought he was talking about Dwyer because of the conditioning issues.Anyways, I'll take my chances on James Starks who's stock dropped because he didn't play all year in 2009 and his small school status- similar to how Frank Gore's draft stock dropped (injury).

Frank Gore was still the first pick of the third round, though.

 

[Clifton]

Does this guy have any value? Stashee in deeper dynasties. I thought so a month or so ago but now I'm not so sure.

 

[EBF]

Sure he has value. He made an NFL 53 man roster even though he adds no value on special teams.

This suggests that the coaching staff thinks he might have a future as a contributor on offense.

 

[Clifton]

Sure he has value. He made an NFL 53 man roster even though he adds no value on special teams.

This suggests that the coaching staff thinks he might have a future as a contributor on offense.

Insightful

 

[Alluro]

Dwyer will get his shot. He looked beastly in the final two preseason games. The Steelers know he would be scooped up from their practice squad in a flash by another team if they went that route.